Electoral boards race to settle disputes
Local officials up against the clock to meet voting deadlines
The deadly pandemic hasn’t stopped challengers from trying to toss candidates from April 6 ballots.
COVID-19, however, is disrupting the process for settling election disputes. Officials will hear testimony and consider evidence during teleconferences instead of in-person sessions in most instances.
Challenges have been seeking to knock candidates off the ballot in Thornton Township District 205, Bremen District 228, Rich Township District 227, Bloom Township District 206, Ford Heights District 169 and Country Club Hills District 160. In Will County, petition challenges were filed in Peotone Unit District 207-Uand Crete-Monee Unit District 201-U.
“The hearings will be remote,” James P. Nally, legal counsel for Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, said Tuesday.
Nally advised the three members of the Cook County Officers Electoral Board who convened in-person for 10 minutes Monday in a lower-level room at the Cook County Administration Building, 69W. Washington St., Chicago.
The panel adopted rules for deciding challenges and assigned hearing officers to handle the 30 or so cases on record. Fewer than 10 people were in the room for Tuesday’s public meeting, which kicks off a process that must wrap by month’s end.
That’s because the clerk’s office must stick to a rigid calendar and receive final rulings on disputes in order to print ballots, send them to people who ask to vote by mail and distribute them for in-person early voting.
“We’re hoping to wrap this up within threeweeks,” Nally said.
Challenging petitions is a time-honored tradition in Chicago-area politics. Politicians, power brokers, savvy attorneys and other objectors typically seek to disqualify opponents over technicalities, irregularities and discrepancies.
Common objections include questioning whether signatures on petitions match voter registration records, whether petitions were properly notarized or whether pages were numbered and attached together in precise accordance with election code regulations.
“Some petitions have various legal issues,” Nally said.
At times, objections may seem like nitpicking. However, seemingly minor errors can be enough to disqualify candidates. Also, properly gathering signatures
from registered voters on petitions and submitting the paperwork could be considered a test of fitness for public office.
“If you can’t follow the simple rules of putting the petition together, maybe you shouldn’t be on the board,” said Larry Canning of Tinley Park, who is seeking a third term on the Bremen High School District 228 Board.
Canning said that as a diabetic, he was reluctant to knock on doors and ask neighbors to sign his petitions. Other board members who are not up for reelection gathered many signatures for him, he said.
“I missed going door-todoor and talking to constituents,” Canning said.
The number of objections is fluid, though there are fewer compared to previous elections, Nally said. At least one candidate withdrew on Tuesday, he said. The clerk’s office was awaiting paperwork on some anticipated objections, he said.
“This list is subject to additional cases being assigned,” Nally told electoral board members.
COVID-19 and government office closures during the holidays may have complicated the objection process this year.
The three-member county panel will decide objections for school, library and park boards. Local electoral boards will decide objections concerning candidates for municipal and township offices, community college board seats and other positions.
Critics have complained that election laws should be changed to address conflict-of-interest concerns. Local electoral boards often are comprised of the very officials holding or seeking public office, or challenging opponents.
Those who recuse themselves often choose political allies to serve as biased surrogates, critics have said.
The Cook County Officers Electoral Board this year is comprised of attorney Jessica Scheller, representing the state’s attorney’s office; Edmund
Michalowski, deputy clerk of elections for the county clerk’s office; and Gloria Chevere, a retired judge representing the clerk of the circuit court.
Electoral board decisions are binding, but they are not the final word.
“If candidates are not happy with the outcome, they can take their appeal to the circuit court,” Nally said.
About two-thirds of Cook County’s 30-odd objections involve contests for south suburban school boards.
Five cases involve South Holland-based Thornton Township High School District 205, where seven candidates seek four seats. Candidate Dennis Willis of Calumet City objected to petitions filed by Ray C. Banks of Harvey, Bernadette Lawrence of Harvey, Almetta VasserMoody of Dolton and Stanley H. Brown of Dolton. Donkar Parker objected to the candidacy of Regina Alexander of South Holland.
The seventh candidate is Michelle Royster of South Holland. Banks, Lawrence and Vasser-Moody are incumbents. Leticia Cruz did not seek another term.
Four cases involve Midlothian-based Bremen High School District 228, where eight candidates filed for three seats. Candidate Marcus Douglas of Hazel Crest objected to filings by Tyler Hall of Oak Forest, Deborah Stearns of Oak Forest, Joy Hudson of Country Club Hills and Mary List of Oak Forest.
Canning, Stearns and Evelyn M. Gleason of Midlothian are incumbents. The eighth candidate is Otilla Kelly-Stokes of Country Club Hills.
Three cases involve Matteson-based Rich Township High School District 227, where eight filed for four seats. Jennifer Mayes objected to filings by Shagmond Lowery of Park Forest, Sharon Newman of Park Forest and Jamair C. Atkins of Country Club Hills.
Others running are Tiffany C. Taylor of Matteson, Andre Allen of Richton Park, Janice Preston of Olympia Fields, Mia Carter of Park Forest and Quintella Bounds of Matteson. Carter, Newman and Preston are incumbents.
Board member Delores Woods did not file for reelection.
In Chicago Heights based Bloom Township High School District 206, Leslie Wilcox objected to petitions filed by Theresa McCoy Carpenter of Chicago Heights. She is one of seven seeking three seats on the board.
Three cases involve
Ford Heights Elementary District 169. Derrick Smith objected to filings by Joe Louis Sherman and Samuel J. Lawrence, and Sherman objected to petitions filed by D. Nicole Conway.
In Country Club Hills Elementary District 160, Alesia Franklin-Allen objected to the candidacy of Jacqueline Doss. In Burbank Elementary District 111, Carlos Aguinaga objected to filings by Peter J. Terrazzino and Pamela Duzakowitcs.
In Will County, an electoral board will decide 10 cases involving school, library and park board contests. Four cases involve Peotone Unit School District 207-U and three involve Crete-Monee Unit School District 201-U.
Tuesday’s sparsely attended electoral board meeting in Chicago was quite a contrast to the scene four years ago, when dozens of south suburban candidates and objectors showed up to learn about hearing assignments.
In coming weeks, investigators will review petition signatures, interview participants, examine files, gather evidence and prepare testimony to present to electoral board members who will decide whether names of candidates being challenged will appear on ballots.
Residents may visit clerk’s offices websites in Cook and Will counties to learn more about cases involving objections to school, library and park board candidacies. Websites for municipalities, townships and community college districts should provide information about objections in their jurisdictions.
Electoral board proceedings are public meetings and should include opportunities for public comments, election officials have said.